12.11.2015

ONAGA, Governor of Okinawa:

Onaga told a news conference here Nov. 11 that he would stand firm despite the central government ratcheting up the pressure on him by turning a “recommendation” into an "instruction."

“The central [Jp] government’s series of responses is exceedingly unreasonable when one considers the purpose of the local autonomy law,” Onaga said of the conflict regarding the U.S. base, and the land reclamation [coral dredging & landfill] required to build it. “It is extremely regrettable that we ended up in this situation.”

“I am going to fully argue the circumstances of U.S. bases in Okinawa, environmental protection and how (the central government) has been dealing with Okinawa,” Onaga said of the probable court battle.

It is expected to take months for a high court to issue a ruling in the case.http://ajw.asahi.com/ar…/behind_news/politics/AJ201511120063

Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga announces he will not comply with the land minister’s instruction to withdraw his revocation of permission for land reclamation to take place to build a U.S. base in Okinawa Prefecture at a news conference in Naha on Nov. 11. (Takufumi Yoshida)